﻿Jviii 
  

  

  that 
  the 
  fly 
  had 
  pierced 
  the 
  cuticle, 
  while 
  the 
  rapid 
  diminution 
  

   in 
  size 
  and 
  falling 
  in 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  indicated 
  the 
  substantial 
  

   meal 
  the 
  fly 
  was 
  making. 
  When 
  it 
  desisted, 
  the 
  larval 
  re- 
  

   mains 
  were 
  removed 
  but 
  were 
  again 
  ofl'ered 
  to 
  the 
  fly 
  in 
  an 
  

   obviously 
  decomposed 
  state 
  24 
  hours 
  later. 
  It 
  unhesitatingly 
  

   made 
  a 
  second 
  meal." 
  

  

  The 
  fly 
  Bengalia 
  depressa. 
  Walk., 
  attacking 
  a 
  wing- 
  

   less 
  Termite. 
  — 
  Prof. 
  Poulton 
  gave 
  an 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  follow- 
  

   ing 
  observation 
  recorded 
  by 
  Dr. 
  G. 
  D. 
  H. 
  Carpenter 
  in 
  a 
  letter 
  

   from 
  Mombasa 
  dated 
  May 
  13, 
  1919. 
  The 
  fly, 
  a 
  female, 
  

   which 
  closely 
  resembled 
  Walker's 
  type 
  of 
  B. 
  depressa, 
  was 
  

   exhibited 
  to 
  the 
  meeting 
  together 
  wdth 
  its 
  victim, 
  a 
  female 
  

   of 
  Termes 
  sp., 
  probably 
  hellicosus, 
  Smeathman. 
  

  

  " 
  On 
  May 
  4th 
  in 
  the 
  evening 
  I 
  saw 
  at 
  Kilindini 
  a 
  Termite 
  

   that 
  had 
  shed 
  its 
  wings, 
  crawling 
  about 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  en- 
  

   deavouring 
  to 
  get 
  away 
  from 
  a 
  medium-sized 
  fly 
  that 
  seemed 
  

   to 
  be 
  in 
  some 
  way 
  attacking 
  it. 
  

  

  " 
  Thinking 
  the 
  fly 
  might 
  be 
  a 
  Tachinid 
  desirous 
  of 
  laying 
  

   eggs 
  upon 
  the 
  Termite 
  I 
  approached 
  closely 
  and 
  watched; 
  

   but 
  it 
  soon 
  became 
  evident 
  that 
  the 
  fly 
  was 
  looking 
  after 
  

   number 
  one, 
  and 
  not 
  a 
  future 
  generation. 
  It 
  persistently 
  

   applied 
  its 
  protrusible 
  proboscis 
  to 
  the 
  Termite's 
  abdcmen, 
  

   and 
  after 
  many 
  repeated 
  failures, 
  being 
  shaken 
  off 
  by 
  the 
  

   movements 
  of 
  the 
  Termite, 
  it 
  at 
  last 
  appeared 
  to 
  get 
  the 
  

   proboscis 
  through 
  the 
  chitinous 
  exoskeleton, 
  for 
  it 
  v. 
  as 
  so 
  

   firmly 
  fixed 
  that 
  the 
  fly 
  was 
  dragged 
  about 
  passively 
  as 
  the 
  

   Termite 
  hurried 
  along, 
  the 
  fly 
  then 
  not 
  using 
  its 
  legs 
  at 
  all. 
  

  

  " 
  I 
  watched 
  for 
  a 
  period 
  during 
  which 
  it 
  seemed 
  to 
  me 
  

   (though 
  the 
  wish 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  father 
  to 
  the 
  thought 
  !) 
  

   that 
  the 
  fly's 
  abdomen 
  grew 
  fatter. 
  At 
  any 
  rate, 
  there 
  seems 
  

   little 
  doubt 
  it 
  was 
  sucking 
  the 
  juices 
  of 
  the 
  fat 
  Termite 
  ! 
  

   I 
  was 
  without 
  any 
  collecting 
  apparatus, 
  but 
  managed 
  to 
  

   catch 
  the 
  fly 
  by 
  its 
  wings 
  with 
  my 
  fingers 
  and 
  tie 
  it 
  up, 
  with 
  

   the 
  Termite, 
  by 
  a 
  grass 
  blade 
  in 
  the 
  corner 
  of 
  my 
  handker- 
  

   chief, 
  and 
  now 
  send 
  them 
  to 
  you 
  for 
  identification." 
  

  

  Mantis 
  pia, 
  Serv., 
  and 
  a 
  Nematode 
  ; 
  a 
  complicated 
  in- 
  

   stinct. 
  — 
  Dr. 
  Gr. 
  D. 
  H. 
  Carpenter 
  exhibited 
  the 
  specimen 
  

   of 
  Mantis 
  pia 
  referred 
  to 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  notes 
  which 
  he 
  

   read 
  :— 
  

  

  